It will be appreciated that this Background section represents the observations of the inventors, which are provided simply as a research guide to the reader. As such, nothing in this Background section is intended to represent, or to fully describe, prior art.
Lighting controls remain one of the most common devices in the world. They are in nearly every country, in most homes and rooms. In addition to widespread use, the appearance and functionality of the basic light switch remains virtually identical to what was provided in the original disclosure of the toggle light switch in 1917. However, newer functions like dimming, motion-based activation and programmed lighting schedules have been implemented in various forms. Companies have also integrated modern connectivity solutions into the standard light switch, allowing it to be controlled remotely via smartphone or other electronic device.
Multi-way lighting systems utilize more than one switch to control the load. This can be a simple installation of a “three-way switch,” which uses two corresponding control switches wired to a single load, or “multi-way switch,” which has three or more switches to control the load. In the case of a three-way light switch setup, one switch is connected to a hot wire, the other switch is connected to a load wire and the two switches are connected to each other by two separate traveler lines.